, 1887-06-28
some or HEamANNs rRlcKs.
Taken to tho Lookup Cor Playing q Prao-
teal Joke-A Private SeRnce.

Taken to the Lookup FOR Playing . Prao-
teal Joks-A Private 5eance.
In an up town managers office the
other day q little group of threatical men
were talking about the interstate COM
merce bill and other cheerful subjects,
when a tall, thin, swarthy man, with .
dark curling mustache and imperial, en-
tered. He was received with a shout Of
welcome. Now for some entertain
ment, " said one of those present, n in
O very few minutes the prophecy was
fulfilled. Tho newcomer was Hermann,
a magician who contrives to make things
generally lively wherever he may happen
to find himself. After replying good
hulnoredly to a torrent of questions about
his recent Brooklyn adventure-he was
led to q police station and narrowly cs-
capped spending the night in o lookup for
playing a practical joke OIL the occupants
Of q street car-he said in French Eng
lish: 1T was great fun, boys, though l
have not yet seen a strictly true account
of it. 1t mndo itself as thus: 1 find my
SELF in a street car with two or three
worthy people who look os though they
were too sleepy and mood waking up.
I wake them. Instead Of thanking me,
they accuse me to q policeman of picking
NACA INNAOo- AiO p1ASSLI1i AAC AC
to tho station house with my sleepy
friends.
The sergeant there takes the charge
down and asks me for what you call my
pedigree. 1 give it to him and am cbout
to be sent to a dungeon. when with all tho
politeness at my command I say: Win
the monsieurs not search their pockets
and see if they have been truly robbed2
They do SO. The one who has lost a
watch finds the pocl;etbook Of the other
In his tail pocket. The pocketbook man
finds q gold watch in his trouser pocket,
while a mond pin which the third man
has lost - neatly pinned in the lapel of
the worthy policeman. Once more
speaking politely 1 say, Hold on, l too,
have something lost, and taking of the
hat Of the sergeant L show him under
meath the lining q roll of greenbacis.
They say no word, and /, bowling politely
once more, leave the station house"
For tho next ten minutes Hermann
turned the gathering into a private seance
and exhibited in rapid succession sone
really astonishing sleight Of hand tricks.
One OF the party wa rolling a cigarette.
''Give me a cigarette paper said Her
mum. Tho little book of cigarette papers
was handed TO him; he took one out ard
began deliberately tearing the slip of It's
sue paper into eight or ten small pieces.
These he folded together once or twice
and then passed them to n Of the p3rtv.
Roll it tight, said he, between your
finger and thumb" The request was
complied with, and a little ball of paper
the size Of q pea was the result OF the
process, "Unrol that" said Herman.
but mind you do not drop the pieces On
the floor" The little boil was carefully
unrolled and found to be a whole. uu-
torn piece Of paper Of the exact size and
make of that taken from the book and
torn up by the conjurer.
As the subject gazed blankly at this u.s.
tonishlng transformation. Hermann took
it from him and folded it in two Cuce
more, and giving it back told him again
to roll it into q small ball. This was done,
and when it was once again unfold,i.
half O dozen scraps Of torn paper were all
that remained. He took q tobacco pouch
from the smoker and with a quick up
ward movement threw it into the air. 1t
was gone, completely vanished, and it
need hardly be said was found in the
breast pocket of an innocent onlooker.
THIS is one of Hermann's cleverest de-
ceptions, and n of those present said
he had frequently seen him perform 1t
with q wineglass half full of wine. He
took tho same tobacco pouch and letting
it rrst in the palm Of his hand, held his
hand well out from his body. lie then
closed his white fingers upon it, opened
luis hand again, and the pouch was gone,
to reappear in o pigeon hole of the man.
ayers desk--New York Tribune.